Detroit Free Press Restaurant Critic

Chef Wolfgang Puck was in Detroit last weekend for his annual participation in the Gallery -- an exclusive auto show preview event at MGM Grand Detroit, where American Express entertains its VIP Black Card holders, and carmakers unveil some of the world's rarest, most expensive new vehicles.

Puck, one of America's best-known chefs, is the man behind the food. His restaurants at MGM Grand prepare many of his signature dishes, and Puck himself serves guests at one of the stations and poses with them for photos.

But Monday, before heading over to the real auto show, he sat down with the Free Press for a wide-ranging interview about hospitality and restaurants -- at least, on the surface.

But in retrospect, the conversation was really about the importance of embracing -- even seeking -- change.

Change was the story for Puck last year, as he marked the 30th anniversary of his legendary Spago -- and then closed the place to reinvent it.

It's really the second remake for Spago, which helped launch the "California cuisine" trend when it opened on West Hollywood's Sunset Strip in 1982. The menu included not only Puck's then-radical designer pizzas but many other dishes and ingredients that were exotic -- even unheard of -- at the time.

"When we opened ... nobody served raw tuna in a Caucasian restaurant -- not a single one," Puck recalled last week. The place was a sensation, packed with Hollywood's biggest names.

In 1997, he and business partner Barbara Lazaroff opened a second Spago on North Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. Beautiful, larger and more stylish, it soon eclipsed the funky West Hollywood location, and in 2001 Puck closed the old place.

It's hard to overstate how many accolades and honors the Beverly Hills restaurant has won -- multiple James Beards for service as well as food, two Michelin stars, AAA's Four Diamonds, Wine Spectator's Grand Award (its highest honor) and on and on.

Puck could have left well enough alone. Many restaurateurs -- especially past the age of 60 -- might have been afraid to tamper with success. That never occurred to him.

"I get this feeling when it's time to change," he said, and that feeling hit him two years ago. "I didn't think it's up to the times. It didn't look fresh. ... It looked like it was from the '80s, even though it was born in the '90s," he said.

He wanted the new Spago to be sophisticated, up-to-date and, most of all, fun. "It has to be modern but comfortable, and it has to have great art," he told his designer.

The makeover did what he hoped. "I think now the young people say, 'Oh, now we can go. It's not for our parents anymore.' "

He and a Limoges artist designed colored plates inspired by Japanese china pieces. "You look at the table and you have Japanese green and some orange plates and some red for desserts. It's not intimidating. It looks more friendly and more casual, yet it looks unique."

His entire approach to food is different, too. Even the signature smoked salmon pizza is gone. He told his chefs, "Keep it simple, but I want strong flavors. I want a Japanese esthetic, but with Italian- or Chinese-style strong tastes."

At last count, his companies operate more than 100 restaurants and cafés of all kinds, including 21 fine-dining restaurants in cities including London and Singapore. In 2014, Puck says, he is moving into the Middle East and will open restaurants in Dubai and Qatar.

He scoffs at the idea of retiring. "What would I do?" he asks. He didn't expect to feel this way. "When I was 35 years old, I said if I am still doing this at 50, or 55 at the most, I will shoot myself."

That's not the plan now.

"I am 63 years young. My son is 18. So I think by the time I'm 80, he'll be 35, and then it's time to let the young people make decisions. ... You need the young people to continue, because if you get old, you get stuck.

"But so far, I love change. If I didn't change, I would still be at the old Spago. I would still be doing the same thing."